Return to School and Need for Advisory Committee Members
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and concerns about our return to school plan. As Dr. Brabrand indicated in his letter to parents on June 26, school will look different in the fall. I know that this is a difficult time and the uncertainties of what fall will bring for our students and families is trying. As a person who is naturally a long term planner, I understand how difficult it is dealing with the uncertainties that COVID-19 is placing upon us. I am frustrated not to have all the answers that we need now to give you the peace of mind you are looking for. I am working with staff to get as many answers as possible as quickly as we can.
The answers to questions being sent in will be housed on a Frequently Asked Questions for Families page . FCPS will be updating this page often over the summer, so check there regularly for updates.
As you may imagine, the school board office is receiving more emails per day than ever. I am doing my best to read all of the emails sent to me and some that other school board members are getting. Where appropriate, I forward the emails to staff to make sure they are working on getting answers to the specific questions you are sending or to make sure they are aware of the ideas, articles and information you are sharing. Between that, talking with principals, community members and continuing meetings, I am admittedly having trouble responding to every email in person, but please know your correspondence is being considered and appreciated.
Please do submit the survey indicating your choice for school in the fall so that staff can begin the very detailed process of scheduling classes and student assignments. I know July 10 is coming up fast and there are still open questions.
Be sure to join Superintendent Scott Brabrand for a virtual Town Hall tonight, July 6, at 6:30 p.m. where he will answer questions about the return to school plan. The livestream will be available on this website or Channel 99 (Verizon, 11). Questions about the Return to School options can be submitted by emailing ReturntoSchool@fcps.edu or calling 1-800-231-6359 (during the forum). This is among many opportunities to share feedback on FCPS' plans to reopen schools this fall.
Spanish Language Town Hall July 8 at 6:30 pm
Acompañe al superintendente Scott Brabrand y dos oficiales de la escuela para la Reunión Town Hall que se presentara el miércoles, 8 de Julio a las 6:30pm. En la reunión se hablará sobre el regreso a la escuela en agosto incluyendo las diferentes opciones de matrícula, salud y seguridad, servicios de comida y el acceso a la tecnología.
La Reunión Town Hall va ser transmitida en vivo por FCPS Facebook en Español por el siguiente enlace https://www.facebook.com/FCPSES/ Por favor envíe sus preguntas con anticipación al correo electrónico returntoschool@fcps.edu o envíenos un mensaje a nuestra página de Facebook. Esperamos que nos pueda acompañar.
There is additional information on the two return to school options available to families on our website:
We all wish that classes could begin on August 25 with all of our students and all of our teachers back in the buildings. The reality is that even with Virginia moving into phase 3 of its reopening plan at this time, social and physical distancing will be required for the safe reopening of our schools. Please -- in Phase 3—wear your masks and social distance this summer—if our COVID-19 numbers start to rise and we are back to Phase 2 by fall, we will not be able to implement face to face instruction.
This is an unprecedented challenge not just for FCPS, but for school districts across the country. We are collaborating with school districts across our region, and you may be seeing articles that show that they are looking to implement very similar programs in the fall. We are hoping this close collaboration will assist some of our families in coordination of work and school schedules.
We are having discussions with the county on child care options for teachers and families and hope to have information available soon.
Thank you again for writing. As I said, I am reading all of the emails I receive. We also have an email address set up to take questions and comments -- ReturntoSchool@fcps.edu. Do not hesitate to send questions and thoughts there too.
FUTURE OUTREACH:
If you would like to have a 15-minute phone call with me, please use this LINK to schedule that call. I have lots of July and August options scheduled for you to choose from.
I am co-hosting a TOWN HALL with Stella Pekarsky, the Sully School Board Representative, on July 28 from 7 pm to 8:30 pm. The Blackboard link for that is HERE. The town hall will be held just as the board finishes up its school year 2019-2020 meetings, and we will be happy to listen to your concerns and answer questions as we can.
Hopefully, you are enjoying your break and can get out to enjoy our nice summer weather. Please stay safe and healthy.
Thank you for all you do to support our schools and our students.
Elaine
Here are a few answers to questions I am seeing frequently:
Why the July 10 deadline?
The one consistent message I have heard through nearly ten hours of public testimony and in hundreds of emails is that parents and teachers wanted a choice. For FCPS to do that, something had to give. Families must choose an option by July 10 so principals can have the time they need to finalize the master schedule. This is a huge task that normally begins in February, and we are asking our principals to do the nearly impossible job of finishing in less than two months.
Why Can’t We Open 5 Days a Week?
The Superintendent’s plans were developed in alignment with CDC and VDOE guidelines. Regardless of whether we move into Phase 3 or beyond, FCPS needs to ensure it balances a quality education with the need to keep students and staff safe. Right now, that balance requires in-person classes with physical distancing of 6 feet as much as possible, limited movement, and personal protective measures. We simply do not have the facility space to have all students in our school buildings 5 days a week.
Why Can’t We Have 2 Days In-Person and 2 days Synchronous?
The in-person option has students in the building two days a week but teachers in the building four days a week. Teachers will have half of the students on two days and the other half of the students on the other two days. They are not available to do both in-person teaching and virtual face-to-face teaching at the same time. We do not have the funding to double our staff, so some teachers will teach virtually while others do so in-person. Monday will be an intervention day and time for teacher planning.
Why the Year-Long Commitment?
The Superintendent and FCPS staff examined the options thoroughly and concluded that a year-long commitment is needed to successfully staff both virtually and in-person. If public health conditions improve that would allow FCPS to resume in-person instruction for all students, FCPS would obviously revisit the issue.
Citizen Advisory Committees
The School Board appoints members to numerous citizen advisory committees to increase community input on specific issues (qualifications for appointment to some committees are mandated by Virginia Code). These citizen advisory committees include citizens from the magisterial districts and each has one appointed Board member liaison. Each Board member nominates a citizen for appointment to the committee. Advisory committee appointments reflect the religious, cultural, and ethnic diversity of the magisterial districts. The advisory committees meet throughout the year and submit an annual report to the Board.
I am grateful that the Dranesville District has had dedicated individuals over the years to volunteer their services via these advisory committees. Please read on to learn more about the individual advisory committees and my appointees for the coming year. I currently have openings on 3 committees (Human Resources, Career and Technical Education, and the Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee). If you are interested in being appointed to one of these committees, please contact me to express interest and provide your resume for consideration. I would love to hear from you. More information about these committees can be found on the FCPS website by clicking on the citizen advisory committees link above and then scrolling down and clicking on the individual committees. Appointees to most committees serve a one-year term.
Committees where Dranesville needs a member:
Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee (CTEAC)
This advisory committee provides recommendations to the local educational agency (or board) on current job needs and the relevancy of career and technical education programs offered and assists in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the local plan and application. In addition, I am working on the Workforce Development sub-committee of the Joint Environmental Task Force and can use technical assistance with that work in conjunction with CTEAC.
Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC)
The MSAOC advocates for minority student achievement by identifying, reviewing, and assessing issues affecting minority student academic achievement within the policies, curriculum, practices, and procedures of FCPS. The committee’s responsibilities also include: making appropriate recommendations to the School Board; reviewing strategies and proposing solutions for closing the achievement gap; evaluating progress towards goals set by the School Board for closing the achievement gap; and ensuring outreach to parents and guardians about resources available through FCPS.
Human Resources Advisory Committee (HRAC)
The purpose of the HRAC is to advise the Fairfax County School Board on achieving and maintaining a premier workforce within a caring culture. If you have HR background and are willing to serve, I would love to hear from you.
Committees with appointees for 2020-2021
Adult and Community Education Advisory Committee (ACE)
The committee represents the community and brings to the School Board’s attention resource and programmatic issues associated with adult education, including adult high school completion, adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), apprenticeship, and certificate programs, as carried out by Fairfax County Public Schools. I’m pleased that Dolly Whelan (dolly.whelan@verizon.net) will represent the Dranesville area on this committee for the coming school year.
Advanced Academic Programs Advisory Committee (AAPAC)
This advisory committee reviews the local plan for the education of gifted students, including revisions, and determines the extent to which the plan for the previous year was implemented. The Dranesville appointee to AAPAC is Suzanne Raber, suzanne.raber@gmail.com. Thank you, Suzanne!
Facilities Planning Advisory Council (FPAC)
The Facilities Planning Advisory Council (FPAC) provides accurate, timely, and relevant advice to the Fairfax County School Board with regard to the development of strategic, comprehensive, and long-term plans for educational and educational support facilities within Fairfax County for Fairfax County Public School students. The FPAC is intended to enhance community outreach and input into the facilities planning process. I am grateful to Jay Reddy and his service on several committees in past years. He has agreed to serve as my appointee to FPAC for another term. His email is Jayreddy99@yahoo.com.
School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC)
This advisory committee assists with the development of health policy in the school division and the evaluation of the status of school health, health education, the school environment, and health services. The committee brings parent concerns about health and wellness to FCPS. Lori Jacobs serves as my appointee to this committee for the 2020-21 school year. The committee members include parents like herself, community healthcare professionals, and FCPS staff representing everything from school security to food and nutrition services. The Fairfax County Health Department is also represented. Lori encourages you to reach out to her at lorikatevass@yahoo.com with questions or comments for SHAC. Public comment is also permitted at the beginning of each SHAC meeting.
Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities (ACSD)
The function of the ACSD is to advise FCPS on the educational needs of students with disabilities, participate in the development of priorities and strategies for meeting those needs, and assist with communicating plans to the community. To that end, the ACSD reviews the policies and procedures for the provision of special education, participates in the review of FCPS's annual plan, and submits period reports and recommendations to the division superintendent and School Board. The ACSD also serves as a forum to provide public comment on the delivery of education to those children with disabilities. Lissy John is the Dranesville appointee to ACSD and can be reached at lissyjohn@gmail.com. I appreciate that she and the other committee members have given their time and talents to this committee.
Family Life Education Curriculum Advisory Committee (FLECAC)
The Family Life Education Curriculum Advisory Committee (FLECAC) advises the K-12 health and physical education and FLE curriculum coordinator on Program of Studies development and implementation. The role of the committee is to provide advice and recommendations to the curriculum coordinator as goals, objectives, media, and special instructional materials are developed. Thank you to Laurie Plishker, lplishker@gmail.com, for volunteering her services as the Dranesville appointee for the coming term.
Want to help out?
The Foundation for FCPS
Collect for Kids Kicks Off!
Summer is here, and we're already thinking about how FCPS will "Return to Learn" in the fall. With nearly 60,000 students qualifying for free and reduced meals, we already know that many of our students will not have the school supplies they need to be successful in their learning journey, whether in-person or virtual.
Your contribution to Collect for Kids can help us provide kits of supplies for these students which will be delivered to them in August before the start of school. Please help us make sure all students have what they need to be creative, and successful, in school.
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
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